When two name brands get together in fast food, the result is often a mess. Ever been to a Carl's Jr. that's also a Mexican eatery called Green Burrito? If so, then you know what I mean.

Combined Taco Bell/KFC units haven't exactly set the world on fire, either. These twosomes are often created more for corporate expediency than because customers are clamoring for a chance to eat popcorn chicken and a taco in the same meal. They also create massive training headaches and overly complex menus for workers to manage.

But one new combo fast-food place has real potential. Earlier this month, Dairy Queen International opened its first combined DQ Orange Julius store in Belvidere, Ill.

Talk about two great tastes that go great together.

Orange Julius's fruit and smoothie drinks are the perfect complement to Dairy Queen's ice cream Blizzards, extending their drink line and giving DQ a piece of the booming market for fruit-based drinks (which we think of as healthier, even if they're loaded with sugar).

Also, Orange Julius is a brand that's been languishing in obscurity for quite a while. I think there's a serious nostalgia factor bonus for DQ in bringing this brand back.

Here's the weird thing: Dairy Queen has owned this brand since 1987. For some reason, little was done to promote Orange Julius or integrate it into existing DQ stores until recently. Where I live, Julius was hard to find -- the only one near me was one tiny, dingy stand in a mall food court.

Judging from the rave reaction coming from food bloggers as Julius reappears in DQs, I'm not the only one who thinks it's cool to see this '20s brand get revitalized and become easier to find again.

The other plus here is with Dairy Queen's extensive existing fountain offerings, it shouldn't be a big training hurdle to add smoothies.

Some 800 DQ restaurants got Orange Julius fountains in them early this year, with more restaurants adding it in time for the peak summer season. Hopefully, as this rolls out we'll see DQ's marketing start to include the smoothies, too. The arrival of the official, fully co-branded store signals that DQ is finally ready to raise the profile of their other drink brand.

Maybe Orange Julius won't become a huge seller in Dairy Queens. But it's a great old brand with a relevant health angle that deserves a shot at getting exposure inside the DQ stores -- and now, Orange Julius is finally getting it.